The Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee is currently accepting submissions on the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026.
A submission is your opportunity to share your experience and explain how changes to the private health insurance rebate could affect you, your family and your access to healthcare. The Committee is inviting submissions from individuals and organisations before the inquiry closes.
A simple 5 step guide
1
Understand the Inquiry
The Senate Committee is examining proposed changes to the Private Health Insurance Rebate and is seeking feedback from Australians who may be affected.
A submission is simply a written statement that allows you to share your views, experiences and concerns directly with the Committee. You do not need to be an expert, belong to an organisation, or understand all the technical details of the legislation. The Committee wants to hear from people who may be affected by the proposed changes in their everyday lives
2
Share Your Experience
Committee members want to understand the real-world impact of proposed policy changes.
The most effective submissions are:
- Personal
- Respectful
- Written in your own words
- Based on your lived experience
3
Introduce Yourself
The Committee values hearing directly from people affected by the issue. Include:
- your name
- your suburb or postcode
- that your are a voter in their electorate
- Whether you hold private health insuranceA brief description of your circumstances
4
Explain Why the Issue Matters to You
Focus on practical, real-world impacts rather than political arguments. you could discuss your personal experience with:
- Rising healthcare and living costs
- Concerns about paying higher private health insurance premiums
- Whether changes could affect your ability to keep your current level of cover
- The importance of accessing timely treatment and avoiding long public hospital wait times
- How private health insurance helps you manage your healthcare choices as you age
- The potential impact on retirees or people living on fixed incomes
5
Include a Clear Recommendation
The strongest submissions clearly explain what outcome they would like the Committee to consider. You ask the Committee to:
- Consider the impact on older Australians
- Assess affordability impacts for consumers
- Consider the effect on health insurance participation
- Examine impacts on public hospital demand
- Ensure Australians maintain access to healthcare choice
- Take member experiences into account when making recommendations
